Welcome to New Members 2. Depression

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3. Liver Blood Stasis and Stagnation

 

I would add Blood Deficiency as another possible Root of depression.

 

TCM physiology is very different from Western, anatomy-based

physiology. This is going to sound weird, but bear with me.

 

Shen is translated as Spirit or Mind. Shen " resides " in the Heart

and is " anchored " by the Blood.

 

" The Blood is the root of the Mind. This concept is important in

practice as Heart-Blood roots the Mind, it embraces it and anchors

it, so that the Mind will be peaceful and happy. If Heart-Blood is

deficient and does not root the Mind, this will result in mental

reslessness, depression, anxiety and insomnia. Coversely, mental

restlessness, emotional problems and sadness can induce a deficiency

of Blood of the Heart causing palpitaions, a pale complexion, and a

weak or irregular pulse. " (The Foundations of ,

Giovanni Maciocia, pp. 72-73.)

 

One of the recognized causes of depression in Western medicine is

anemia, so this is not as far-fetched as it may sound at first to

some readers. But please keep in mind that the TCM concept of Blood

is not identical to blood, and that Blood Deficiency is not limited

to anemia. A person's Western blood tests can be normal but the

person may suffer from Blood Deficiency. You go by the TCM

definition in identifying TCM imbalances.

 

It gets a little weirder. There also is something called the Hun or

Ethereal Soul which resides in the Liver. Liver Blood Deficiency can

result in in feelings of falling as one is drifting off to sleep and

a fear of going to sleep as well as depression.

 

4. Phlegm dampness obstruction and stagnation

5. Phlegm fire harassing the spirit

 

The TCM concept of Phlegm really departs from the Western definition

of phlegm. Phlegm can produce a mulitude of bizarre and extreme

symptoms that are hard to treat. Many of the Severe Mental Illnesses

recognized in Western medicine have underlying Roots of Phlegm. Not

all Phlegm imbalances will result in SMI, but Phlegm can. Phlegm

disorders can be very difficult to treat and take a long time.

 

6. Anxiety and worry harassing the heart spirit.

 

The emotional-physical relationship in TCM is very much recognized as

a two-way street. Physical imbalances will have psychological

symptoms, and emotions can affect physical health. Actually, the

Chinese don't word it like this, but I'm writing for a lot of people

who don't have a background in TCM.

 

The Chinese take it as a given that there any imbalance is going to

have both physical and psychological manifestations. The recognize

that not only can emotions impact upon physical health and create

imbalance, but imbalance in a particular Organ will cause a person to

be more prone to feeling certain emotions. It's a snowballing

situation. Whatever the initial trigger for the imbalnce, once it

gets started, the person is going to be more prone to feeling certain

emotions which in turn is going to worsen the imbalance which in turn

makes the person even more prone to feeling certain emotions and so

on.

 

Schnyer and Flaws have this to say about Anxiety and Worry Harassing

the Heart Spirit:

 

" Main symptoms: Mental-emotional abstraction, restlessness, sorrow

and anxiety, a tendency to crying, frequent yawning, a pale tongue

with thin, white fur, and a bowstring, fine pulse.

 

" Analysis of symptoms: If anxiety and depression are not resolved,

the heart ai is consumed and damaged and the ai and blood become

depleted and unable to nourish the heart spirt. Therefore, one sees

mental-emotional abstraction, restlessness, and other such symptoms.

The pale tongue with thin, white fur and the bowstring, fine pulse

are signs of qi depression and blood vacuity. " (Schnyer and Flaws, p.

53.) ( " Vacuity " is the term Blue Poppy Press prefers

for " deficiency " . Maciocia prefers " emptiness " . I prefer deficiency

because it's easier to convey what is meant to people without a TCM

background. Deficiency conditions are those in which problems are

caused by there being too little of something. For example, too

little Blood, too little Qi, etc. Excess conditions are those in

which problems are caused by there being too much of something. Any

Qi Stagnation or Blood Stasis is too much.)

 

The listings of TCM imbalances that can underlie depression come from

Curing Depression Naturally with , Rosa N. Schnyer

and Bob Flaws.

 

To be continued.

 

Victoria